Electric third-rail system.



No. 645,259. Patented. Mar. I3, |900.

G. C. HICKS. ELEcTm .nimo BAH. SYSTEM. u1u Modal.) ppm on y i) Q m m G b d Q, w

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GEORGE C. HICKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC THIRD-RAIL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,259, dated March 13, 1900.

Application filed July 10,1899. Serial No. 723,304. (No model.)

To 'all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Third-Rail Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class ofthird-rail systems of electric-car propulsion wherein the third rail, to which the currentis suppliedfrom a live Wire underneath it to be taken by a trolley or brush to the motor on the car, ismaintained dead or free from current except as to the section thereof adjacent to the moving car, on which mechanism is provided for automatically connecting the third rail, and through it the motor or motors, with the current-supply wire as the car in traveling reaches that section.

The primary feature of my improvement consists in the employment on the car of a magnet adapted, by its force of attraction exerted through the third rail on a magnetic contact-frame connected with the supply-wire in the conduit, to produce the connection of the frame with the third rail, normally separated from it, to supply the propelling-current to the trolley or brush extending from the car to contact with the third rail.

Other features of my improvement relate to the general and specic construction of mechanism cooperating with the magnet for the stated purpose.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken View, in longitudinal section, taken at the line l on Fig. 2 andviewed in the direction of the arrow, showing an underground conduit containing the contact connection with the current-supply wire, the sectional third rail extending along the exterior of the conduit, and a trolley-car on the track over the conduit and equipped with depending electromagnets carrying trolley-wheels to contact with the third rail. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionv taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow and enlarged; and Fig. 3, a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. l, viewed in the direction of the arrow and enlarged.

A is an underground conduit formed, preferably, in cylindrical sections about eight feet -or more in length, separated by insulation ct at their abutting ends and embedded in masonry B or the like.

C is the third rail, of non-magnetic metal, which need not be more than an inch thick, 0r thereabout, and which is formed in longitudinal sections of about the same length as the conduit-sections, separated at their abutting ends by insulation a. At suitable intervals the rail C is fastened down by bolts of non-magnetic metal, aording contact-bars b h, which project into the conduit A through its top and are shown beveled on one side, as at a; in Fig. 2. Within the conduit, at suitable intervals, are cross-supports el, which are best formed of glass or vitrified clay, for the current-supply wires D. From each support d there extends in the conduit an upwardlyinclined bracket c, of the same material as said support, having a socket c', affording a bearing, for a purpose hereinafter described.

For each section of the third rail there is provided in the conduit a contact, device for connecting the supply-wire with the contactbolts b, but which is normally separated a slight distance from the latter, said device,

as shown, involving the following construc-` tion:

F is a rectangular frame formed of a springy rod of magnetic metal bent upon itself to form the four sides illustrated, with a return-bend forming a supplemental frame F', having its lower rod-section e extending along the longitudinal middle portion of the main frame,with one end of the'supplemental frame at the outer side of the corresponding end of the main frame, as shown at o, and the opposite end of the supplemental frame at the inner side of the respectively-corresponding end of the mainframe, asrepresentedato. Eachframe F rests at its rod e in a series of the bearings c of the brackets c, wherein it is supported in the inclined position with the upper bar e of the main frame opposing but normally separated a slight distance from the beveled sides of the adjacent contacts b,whereby when the bar @becomes magnetized in the manner hereinafter described it will be attracted to the contacts against its springy tendency to recoil, which again separates it from the contacts to resume its normalposition when the magnetic iniiuence is withdrawn from the bar. Each frame F is elec- IOO , near each end of the car.

trically connected, as represented at f, with a supply-wire D within the conduit.

Gr denotes the body of an electric car equipped with the usual electric motors, (not shown,) one of which is commonly provided From opposite sides of the center of the bottom of the car depend the pivotal trolley-poles H H', shown connected from their depending arms g g by a spring g and each controllable to be raised and lowered with relation to the third rail C, over which it hangs, through the medium of a cord h, passing over suitably-located pulleys h to winding mechanism (not shown) on the car, which may be of the ordinary brakespindle Variety. Each trolley-pole terminates in an electromagnet I of adequate power when energized, and its poles are in close proximity to the surface of the third rail to magnetize a frame F with sufficient force to attract it into engagement with the contacts b, and for energizing the magnets they are shown included in the circuit of an electric battery (indicated at K) on the car and from which either may be disconnected at will through the medium of a suitable switch, (represented at t.) Between the bars of each magnet is journaled an insulated trolley-wheel L, from which to direct current to the motors on thev car by conductors Z, leading to them from the wheels.

rIhe operation is as follows: The trolleywheels, with their electromagnets, which are duplicated to adapt the car to be run in either direction, may be used together, it' desired, by lowering the wheels against the third rail. l-Iowever, the forward magnet need only be used as a pilot in starting the car to initiate the movement of a frame F, so that high speed may be soon attained. Thereafter the forward trolley may be raised, so that only the rear one touches the third rail. With the poles of a magnet I in close proximity to the upper surface of the rail O its magnetism attracts the frame F of such section orsections into engagement with the contacts,` thereby closing the circuit from the supply-wire D over the conductor f, frame F, and contacts b to the respective section of the rail (),whence the current is taken by the trolley on that section to the motor on the car and drives it.

In addition to the advantage aiorded by the class of electric third-rail systems to which myimprovement relates of charging with current only a portion at a time of the third rail it decreases the danger of accident from the current on the third rail, since the charged section thereof is covered or so far covered by the car as to exclude objects on the street from coming into contact with the third rail while charged with current, and the use of a magnet for closing the circuit between the supply-wire and car-motor enables the conduit to be entirely closed or slotless, thereby sealing the conduit against the ingress of moisture, and as a consequence avoiding the What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an electric third-rail system, the combination with the conduit containing the current-supply conductor, of the normally-dead sectional third rail,acontactframe supported in'said conduit normally out of electrical contact 'with said rai-l and connected with said conductor, and a magnet supported to act through said rail upon said frame to attract it into electric contact with said rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric third-rail system, the combination with the conduit containing the current-supply conductor, of the normally-dead sectional third rail having contacts project-V ing from it into the conduit, a spring contactframe supported on brackets in the conduit normally out of engagement with said contacts and electrically connected with said conductor, and a magnet supported to act through said rail upon said frame and attract it, against its recoil resistance, into engagement with said contacts, substantially as and` for the purpose set forth.

3. In an electric third-rail system, the combination with the conduit containing the current-supply conductor, of the normally-dead sectional third rail, insulating-brackets supported at intervals in the conduit, contactframes supported in inclined position in bearings in said brackets normally out of elecd trical contact with said rail and connected lwith said conductor, and a magnet supported.

to act through said rail upon the frames to attract them into electric contact with the rail, substantially as described.

4t. In an electric third-rail system, the combination with the conduit containing the current-supply conductor, of the normally-dead sectional third rail having contacts projecting from it into the conduit, insulating-brackM ets supported at intervals in the conduit, contact-frames F each composed of springy metal bent upon itself to form four sides with a rcturn-bend forming the supplemental frame F', at the section e' of which it is supported on said brackets to maintain the` frame in inclined position normally separated from said contacts, and a magnet supported to act through said rail upon'the frames to attract them into electric contact with the rail, substantially as described.

, GEORGE C. HICKS.

In presence olf- D. W. LEE, P. T. SPENCER.

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